A bill that would set the minimum age to purchase a gun at 21 and allow certain members of school staff to carry firearms was approved by the Florida state legislature on March 7. Nearly every state has at least discussed gun-related legislation in the aftermath of the mass shooting in a Parkland, Fla., high school. The backdrop to these changes is a geography that shows strong gun rights in the South, West and Southwest and stronger gun control on the coasts coming into an election year with 36 governorships in the hands of voters.

Control of state government

There are 25 states where Republicans hold the governorship and majorities in the state House and state Senate while Democrats hold the trifecta in seven states. Eighteen states are split between parties. Those dynamics, plus 36 governships and all but four state legislatures, are up for election in 2018 are the backdrop for these debates.

How state gun laws compare

To visualize how state laws compare, we took rankings from two organizations: One that is scoring based on gun owners' rights, and the other that is scoring based on preventing gun violence.

Guns and Ammo rankings

1-9

10-19

20-29

30-39

40-50

AK

ME

VT

NH

WA

ID

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

MA

RI

OR

UT

WY

SD

IA

IL

OH

PA

NJ

CT

CA

NV

CO

NE

MO

IN

WV

VA

MD

DE

AZ

NM

KS

AR

KY

TN

SC

NC

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

TX

FL

HI

1-9

10-19

20-29

30-39

40-50

ME

AK

VT

NH

WA

ID

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

MA

RI

OR

UT

WY

SD

IA

IL

OH

PA

NJ

CT

CA

NV

CO

NE

MO

IN

WV

VA

MD

DE

AZ

NM

KS

AR

KY

TN

SC

NC

HI

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

TX

FL

1-9

10-19

20-29

30-39

40-50

ME

AK

VT

NH

WA

ID

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

MA

RI

OR

UT

WY

SD

IA

IL

OH

PA

NJ

CT

CA

NV

CO

NE

MO

IN

WV

VA

MD

DE

AZ

NM

KS

AR

KY

TN

SC

NC

HI

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

TX

FL

Guns and Ammo magazine has ranked gun laws for the last five years to determine the best states for gun owners according to right-to-carry rules, access to "black rifles," presence of a deadly force self-defense rules and other factors

Giffords Law Center rankings

1-9

10-19

20-29

30-39

40-50

AK

ME

VT

NH

WA

ID

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

MA

RI

OR

UT

WY

SD

IA

IL

OH

PA

NJ

CT

CA

NV

CO

NE

MO

IN

WV

VA

MD

DE

AZ

NM

KS

AR

KY

TN

SC

NC

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

TX

FL

HI

1-9

10-19

20-29

30-39

40-50

ME

AK

VT

NH

WA

ID

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

MA

RI

OR

UT

WY

SD

IA

IL

OH

PA

NJ

CT

CA

NV

CO

NE

MO

IN

WV

VA

MD

DE

AZ

NM

KS

AR

KY

TN

SC

NC

HI

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

TX

FL

1-9

10-19

20-29

30-39

40-50

ME

AK

VT

NH

WA

ID

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

MA

RI

OR

UT

WY

SD

IA

IL

OH

PA

NJ

CT

CA

NV

CO

NE

MO

IN

WV

VA

MD

DE

AZ

NM

KS

AR

KY

TN

SC

NC

HI

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

TX

FL

The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence has published a gun law scorecard since 2010 and ranks states on the strength of gun laws by giving points for gun safety policies and giving negative points for laws it deems dangerous.

What states have done since Florida shooting

The Tribune surveyed news reports from around the country to glean the latest movements in the gun debate on the state level. Some of these situations change daily.

Lawmakers have introduced six bills since the Parkland school massacre ranging from arming teachers to banning the sale of assault weapons but the measures are stalled and face a tight deadline before the session ends at the end of March.

Lawmakers had mixed reactions to legislation that would let authorities temporarily take guns from people deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. While the measure has been pending for more than a year, it got its first hearing before the House Judiciary Committee and received strong support during public testimony.

Democrats in the state senate anb protestors pushed for measures that would ban "bump stocks" require a person on probabion for domestic violence to hand in firearms, require universal background checks and create a "red flag" law process but none of the bills advanced through the Republican-controlled chamber, according to a report from the Arizona Republic.

A proposal would raise the age for buying rifles and shotguns from 18 to 21 and prevent people from buying more than one firearm within a 30-day window. Those restrictions are already in place for handgun purchases in California, and the measure would extend it to long guns.

Democratic lawmakers rejected GOP bills that would that would allow concealed carry permit holder to take guns onto school grounds, repeal the state's high-capacity magazine ban and allowed business owners and employees to use dealy force against intruders, according to a report in the Denver Post.

A bill that would increase school safety, allow certain staff at schools to carry firearms and restrict gun purchases was approved by the state legislature. That bill is awaiting Governor Rick Scott's signature. Efforts to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines fell short.

The state house passed bills to ban bump stocks, raise the minimum age to 21 for buying assault-style weapons, and create state licensing of gun dealers. The state senate has already passed the licensing mesure but still has to vote on the other bills.

Kansas lawmakers have advanced a proposal to lower the age for carrying a concealed weapon, from 21 to 18 years old as well as a proposal designed to ensure that fugitives and domestic abusers who illegally have guns are prosecuted. A committee was scheduled to take up the bill March 5. Another proposal to offer NRA-backed gun-safety programs in schools was put on hold following the mass shooting in Florida.

The Legislative Council approved a "red flag" bill allowing police to temporarily confiscate guns of those deemed to be a danger, a bill aimed at raising awareness of those who could pose a danger and one authorizing borrowing for school security. The approvals mean lawmakers will debate the bills in the coming weeks. Lawmakers rejected bills aimed at banning high-capacity magazines and bump stocks.

Gov. Larry Hogan urged state lawmakers to pass two measures designed to take guns away from people identified as dangerous, and proposed spending $125 million to enhance security at schools, the Baltimore Sun reported.

A state legislative committee is considering a bill that would allow a family member or law enforcement officer concerned that a legal gun owner "poses a significant risk of causing personal injury to self or others," to petition a judge to issue an extreme risk protection order. Such an order would prevent the individual from possessing or purchasing firearms for one year.

One bill under development in the Republican-controlled legislature would permit teachers and staff to carry firearms inside schools. Another that has been introduced and is endorsed by the Democratic governor would enact a procedure for temporarily confiscating guns from individuals in a threatening mental health crisis.

Sen. Steve Halloran told the Lincoln Journal Star he plans to introduce a bill in 2019 that would allow some teachers to voluntarily be armed.

Guns and Ammo ranking: No. 35 Giffords Center ranking: No. 19

New Jersey Democratic governorship, Democratic state House, Democratic state Senate

Lawmakers advanced a half-dozen measures to tighten the state's already-strict gun laws. The bills include one to require the seizure of firearms when a mental health professional determines someone poses a threat and another to require background checks for private gun sales.

Guns and Ammo ranking: No. 48 Giffords Center ranking: No. 2

New York Democratic governorship, Democratic state House, Republican state Senate

Republicans in the state Senate blocked an effort by Democrats to force a vote on four gun control bills. The bills would have strengthened the state's background check system and set aside state funding for research into firearm violence. Others would have banned bump stocks and created a new protection order to bar people considered to be a danger to themselves or others from possessing guns.

Guns and Ammo ranking: No. 50 Giffords Center ranking: No. 5

North Carolina Democratic governorship, Republican state House, Republican state Senate

Lawmakers are looking at ways to increase school safety bu tare not likely to propose any gun restrictions, according to a Charlotte Observer report.

Republican Gov. John Kasich proposed a range of gun law changes, including a ban on armor-piercing ammunition; forcing stricter compliance deadlines and penalties around entering data into the national background check system; prohibiting those targeted by domestic violence protection orders from buying or possessing firearms; and clarifying Ohio's prohibition on "strawman" third-party gun purchases.

Bills banning assault-style weapons and raising the legal age to purchase firearms from 18 to 21 years old were introduced. Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo signed an executive order establishing a so-called "red flag" policy to prevent people from having guns if they are deemed a danger to themselves or others.

Guns and Ammo ranking: No. 44 Giffords Center ranking: No. 9

South Dakota Republican governorship, Republican state House, Republican state Senate

Legislators tabled proposals to allow people to carry concealed firearms without a permit.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a review of school safety and called for addressing problems with the federal background check system and identifying mental health issues that could lead to gun violence.

Utah lawmakers rejected a measure March 5 that would have allowed police to temporarily confiscate guns from those deemed to be a threat, ending the only piece of gun control legislation that the conservative state took up after the Florida school shooting.

The Vermont Senate and House passed different versions of a bill that would allow police to take firearms and explosives from people judged to be an extreme risk to themselves or others. Lawmakers need to revisit the issue when they return to work March 13.